HEATON Chapel parents have scored a remarkable victory in their attempts to retain Priestnall School as their children's first choice.

After a high profile campaign, education bosses made a u-turn over their proposal that youngsters at Broadstone Hall Primary School - who currently feed on to Priestnall - go instead to Reddish Vale Technology College in an effort to manage overcrowding at Priestnall.

The move followed a determined campaign by parents intent on maintaining choice over where to send their children to secondary school.

And, at last Thursday's meeting of the full council, Coun Shan Alexander, the executive member for education, said that she had been contacted by large numbers of parents.

She explained that "having considered the potential benefits of the proposed changes, I do not believe their short term impact at Priestnall will be greater than the disruption that would be caused to children and parents at Broadstone Hall in the long term.

"I hope we have demonstrated that we have listened to their views."

Coun Alexander said staff would be looking at "alternative solutions" to manage overcrowding at Priestnall.

After the meeting Heatons North coun Les Jones said: "The statement from coun Alexander is a clear example that strong public opinion can look at proposed legislation and force changes to proposals which are detrimental to the residents of Stockport. It has proved that people power works and we totally support it.

Delighted parent Sue Lewis said: "The campaign has been fought by parents and the whole community and it's difficult to put into words but we thought it was not going to be a positive result. It's a brilliant early Christmas present."

And campaigner Elizabeth Berridge said: "I am absolutely over the moon and it shows how things can change when people make their views heard."

The executive will meet on January 10, 2005, to recommend leaving the priority area alone.

In a statement to the Stockport Express, the leader on Stockport Council Mark Hunter said it was "very unlikely that our position will change on this matter between now and January 10 and I am very confident that children at Broadstone Hall will be able to go to Priestnall as is currently the case".